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Last revised December 1, 2016

See the Planning Practice Guidance on permitted development rights ie development that does not need planning permission.

A guide for householder permitted development rights is available here.

Permitted development rights may be removed though an Article 4 direction.
Find out about Bristol’s Article 4s here

From the Planning Practice Guidance document (link above) it states:

There is a range of exclusions which apply to permitted development rights in England. For instance, there are protected areas known as article 2(3) land, these cover:

  • conservation areas……….

This means that permitted development rights do not apply within conservation areas.


New legislation in 2015 was brought in to make more development ‘permitted development’

In outline the changes are as follows:

The new rights allow the change of use of class A1 retail premises to A2 financial and professional services use without planning permission or prior approval.

In addition, betting offices and payday loan shops are removed from the A2 use class to become sui generis, so that planning permission is required to change to either of these uses.

Some developments are now permitted under Prior Approval rights.

Change from A1 and A2 use into D2 assembly and leisure for floorspace of up to 200 square metres, (as long as the premises were in A1 or A2 use on 5 December 2013)

Changes from A1 and A2 uses, betting offices, payday loan shops and casinos to class A3 restaurants and cafés.

Change from B8 storage and distribution floorspace into C3 residential, though only where the floorspace does not exceed 500 square metres.

Prior approval is required for some permitted development rights for change of use including the following:

  • for change of use of agricultural buildings between thresholds of 150m2 and 500m2, prior approval is required for transport and highways impacts, flooding, contamination and noise
  • for permanent change of use to a state-funded school, prior approval is required for transport and highways impacts, contamination and noise
  • for change of use from B1(a) offices to C3 residential use, prior approval is required for transport and highways issues, contamination and flooding.

Full details can be found in Part 3 of Schedule 2 to the General Permitted Development Order.

The Acts are as follows:

THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (GENERAL PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT) (ENGLAND) ORDER 2015               2015 No. 596

THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (COMPENSATION) (ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2015    2015 No. 598

THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (USE CLASSES) (AMENDMENT) (ENGLAND) ORDER 2015  2015 No. 597

An explanatory memorandum has been prepared and is here 

See also the Planning Portal page here on change of use and permitted development.